Snowboarding Forum - Snowboard Enthusiast Forums banner

Proper Procedure Approaching and Hitting a kicker

14K views 20 replies 15 participants last post by  snowklinger 
#1 ·
Hey Guys,

Wanted to get some feedback on your thoughts of proper procedures approaching a kicker, and getting that POP off the jump, and how you maintain control in the air...
More of an open forum rather than asking for a HOW_TO.

-Tim
 
#3 ·
1. Approach the ramp in a downhill trajectory, with no regard for safety.
2. Catch an edge just at the lowest point in the approach
3. Fly forward head first, burying your head and shoulders to about mid-shoulder.
4. For extra steeze points, bone your entire body on impact so that it extends rigidly up from the snow at an angle, before relaxing and letting yourself fall to earth.
5. If desired, you can hold up a cartoon sign that says "Medic" at this point.
 
#6 ·
It's different depending on what you want to do but generally for me if I want to just fly straight off a kicker I carve until my speed is comfortable, approach slightly on my toe edge and once I'm at the kicker I flatten the board and pop an ollie.

Don't go too fast - It's better to roll over the top first time than get tons of air and fall. From a beginner's point of view it's important to keep your shoulders completely square and lead with your front arm otherwise you'll go into a 180 and land on your ass. Also popping the board at the top of the jump makes me feel more in control and because I've initiated the jump movement it means my body is prepared for flight so I have more time to think about the landing.

Oh and stay loose. It tends to lower the risk of the flail reaction.
 
#7 ·
You don't mention your experience level but I can tell you what worked for me.

For me there were a couple of key things.

1) try to limit your speed checks as you approach the kicker. It's easier said then done. You want to carry speed into a jump to catch air. How much speed you carry depends on your confidence. I tried to pick one kicker and own it. It was a bump really but I hit it 10 times in one day, each time doing my best to hit it with more speed then the time before.

2) be stable.

If you ride up the kicker correcting, adjusting and moving around youll have a bad approach, a bad take off and the landing will rely on luck :). Don't rely on luck. As you approach the kicker get lower to the board, into a comfy stance and let your momentum do the work. Even if you're going kinda sorta slow, if don't absorb the kicker using your legs you can catch some air.

3) be stable in the air

Remember what I said about a stable approach? It was my key to a stable air. Your body should be quiet. Casual. Relaxed.

When I'm in the air I'm in the same crouch I was in when I approached the kicker.

3) land easy

Even if you land on the knuckle, try to land on your back foot first. Meaning as I come down I extend my back leg down so that the back of m board will touch down first. Like an airplane lands on its back wheels and then the nose comes down... Same thing w a board. It hurts to land both feet at the same time.

I taught myself how to keep my body quiet in the air by jumping natural terrain. When it's flat and then suddenly steep again. Id carry some speed into the flat and just hop up. I wouldn't get very high but I'm moving forward fast enough that the ground kinda drops away. You have to land it back foot first anyway.

I know i didn't answer your question about popping... I'm still figuring that out myself. I'd suggest learning to be stable in the air before trying to work in how to max it out.

Hope this helps! Hopefully someone will correct me and -I'll- learn something too!
 
#11 ·
Ollieing and hitting booters are completely different mechanically and mixing them is a recipe for disaster except when you know you are too slow, its too late to bail, and you can rip an ollie to get you over the knuckle, but chances are its gonna be ugly.

You really can't beat the SA vids for learning how to approach a kicker. The setup, and setup turn are key points as you learn to take off the lip both heelside and toeside.
 
#12 ·
My input is learn "air awareness" what I mean by this. My 1st time I'm looking at the transition of the ramp next thing I know I'm riding down the hill. I completely blocked out anything happening. As I went a few more times I was able to see what was happening and spotting my landing.
This was key to me as I started to get better and see what was happening on each jump
Good luck start small and build up.
 
#17 ·
Depends how big your going...smaller jumps I like to pop ollie because when i kick my front foot forward it levels out my board in the air and it ensures im not going to lean too far back, 40 footers and up I dont pop as much because your speed is going to launch you anyway, but still do it to level my board in the air
 
#18 ·
When you are first learning to hit kickers (jumps) the main thing you need to worry about is proper speed as you approach and nice solid form as you hit the jump.

Use edges to control speed as you approach but before take off let your board go flat.

Also, when first learning dont worry about actually ollie-ing to get air off of the jump. Its called a jump for a reason, with proper speed it does all of the work for you.
 
#21 ·
Don't fully get it but there is actually some advanced techniques with taking off on the "wrong" edge for the fs or bs that you are going for, but yea, those vids are money for basics. You can get consistently better at airtime with simple mechanics to follow into the jump.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top